Page 123 of Ruin

But, instead of shuttered eyes, I see them shimmering with unease.

Dropping my arms to my sides, I take a step closer to him. “Zeus, what’s going on?” I say more forcefully. “You’re starting to scare me.”

“Shit. Sorry.” He steps forward and then stops before reaching me. He pushes his fingers through his hair and blows out a breath. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

Oh God. Here we go.

“It’s not about me and you,” he’s quick to say. “Well, it is about me and you. But not in the way you think.”

“I don’t know what to think right now because you’re not making much sense.” I pull my pajama top sleeves over my hands, holding on to the fabric with my fingers.

“Sorry. I just…fuck.” He fixes his eyes on me. “My publicist called me last night while you and I were together. But I had my phone turned off. After I dropped you home, I turned it back on and saw that I had a bunch of missed calls and messages from him.”

“What did he want? And what does this have to do with me?”

“Before I tell you, you need to know that I was up all night, trying to fix this. To stop it from happening, but…it was too late.”

“Fix what, Zeus?” My voice is firmer now because I want to know what the hell is going on. My heart hasn’t pounded this hard with fear since the night he broke up with me over the phone.

“A story went out last night on Pharos.”

It’s one of those trashy news sites, which I’m ashamed to admit that I peruse from time to time.

“About…well, you.”

“Me?” My hand goes to my chest in shock. “Why would there be a story about me on there?”

“The pictures of us together in Disney World. I guess they piqued some piece-of-trash journalist’s interest. It makes sense because, as far as anyone knows, I’m a single guy. And then I’m there at Disney with you and Gigi. I should have considered this before I took you both there, but I don’t pay much attention to the press, except for when I have to for fights.”

“What are they saying? You said the story is about me, right? So, what’s been said? That we have a child together? You and I are together? What?”

His eyes do a tour of everything but me, and my stomach drops through the floor because I know I’m not going to like what he’s about to say.

His eyes meet mine again. “They’re saying you got pregnant and didn’t tell me. That you kept Gigi from me. That you work at a police station during the day, and at night, you…”

“What?” I demand.

“Strip. They’re saying you work as a stripper.”

“I do, what?” The word bellows from my lungs, actually forcing myself back a step. “A stripper? A fricking stripper? They said I’m a stripper? I’m not a stripper! I was a go-go dancer! Not once have I taken my clothes off for money! Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I haven’t done it! And I most definitely didn’t keep Gigi from you!”

He comes to me. His big hands wrapping around my biceps. “I know that, Dove. But some asshole made up this bullshit story and printed it.”

“Well, that’s just fucking great!” I pull from his hold, moving away, needing some space. I walk to the edge of the porch and curl my hands around the railing, taking in and exhaling a few breaths. I tilt my head in his direction. “Can they do this? Print lies like this?”

I almost want to slap myself in the face for asking that.

Of course they can. The press is notorious for printing whatever they damn well feel like, truth or not.

“I’m sorry,” he says, sounding remorseful.

“Why are you sorry?” I straighten up, facing him, one hand still holding on to that railing. It’s like I need the support to ground me, so I don’t run from here and straight to the person who printed this crap about me to kick the bullshit right out of them. “It’s not like you printed these lies about me. It’s not your fault this is happening.”

He lets out a self-deprecating noise through his nose. “Babe, everything that goes wrong in your life is because of me. This is no exception. They wouldn’t have targeted you if I were just some normal guy. It’s because of what I do for a living…who I am to them. It makes me newsworthy. Meaning they will spin whatever shit they can to make a story sound juicier.”

“God, it makes me so angry!” I rage, teeth gritted. “I can’t believe they just get to do this! And, now, people are going to think I’m a stripper. What if the kids at school say mean stuff to Gigi? And—” My thoughts are spiraling out of control.

“It’s going to be all right, Cam.”